Cricket
ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier: Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka Post wins
Sports Bulletin ReportAbu Dhabi (UAE): Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka women posted victories in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier contests at Tolerance Oval and Zayed Cricket Stadium Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday night.Zimbabwe beat UAE by 8 wickets: The UAE won the toss and opted to bat first, but just as in their tournament opener against Ireland, they failed to fire with the bat. The tournament hosts lost three wickets inside the first six overs, but the innings was steered back on track courtesy of a 52-run, fourth-wicket partnership between Kavisha Edodage (23) and top-scorer, Heena Hotchandani (32 off 33 balls, three fours).Both batters fell in quick succession and after their departure, the UAE’s lower-order struggled to get going in the death overs. Rinitha Ranjith’s much needed 19 off 11 balls (two fours) helped her side pass the 100-run mark.Zimbabwe’s bowlers maintained their discipline with the ball for most of the UAE innings. Josephine Nkomo (player of the match) was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 11 runs in four overs. She took wickets both with the new ball and in the death overs with her impressive seam bowling. Audrey Mazvishaya helped maintain their momentum with her own two wickets for 25.Zimbabwe were rarely troubled in their chase. Opener, Sharne Mayers, fell for 13 after a 22-run opening partnership. Wicketkeeper-batter Modester Mupachikwa (22) added 43 runs for the second-wicket with Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano.After Mupachikwa’s dismissal in the 10th over, Mugeri-Tiripano saw her side home in the company of skipper Mary-Anne Musonda who scored an unbeaten 26 off 23 balls (three fours). Mugeri-Tiripano scored a brisk, unbeaten 36 from 26 with the help of four fours. Zimbabwe completed the chase with 27 balls to spare, Suraksha Kotte was the only wicket-taker for UAE.Sri Lanka beat Scotland by 10 wickets: Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field first and the decision reaped rich rewards as the Scotland’s batters failed to create momentum from the start of their innings. After losing opener Darcey Carter for a duck in the opening over, Scotland kept losing wickets at regular intervals.Player of the match in the win against Thailand, Inoshi Priyadharshani, produced another quality spell. The off-spinner took three wickets in her four overs, conceding a mere 11 runs. Kavisha Dilhari, later named the player of the match, also made life tough for Scotland’s batters with her off-spinners, she took four wickets in 3.2 overs.Lorna Jack top-scored with 24 runs, while captain, Kathryn Bryce, contributed an enterprising 22 off 19 balls (five fours) but failed to make the most of her promising start.In reply, captain Chamari Athapaththu, smashed an unbeaten 59 off 35 balls (10 fours, one six) as Sri Lanka cruised past the target in 10.1 overs. Athapaththu played in her typically aggressive manner as the Scotland bowlers searched but found no answers. The bowlers were also let down by a below-par fielding effort, including dropped chances as Athapaththu played her shots.Athapaththu’s opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne dropped anchor on the other end, her captain leading from the front with some swashbuckling shots. Sri Lanka are now poised for a semi-final spot from Group A with matches against Uganda and USA to follow next week.
UAE beat Oman by 55 runs in final to qualify for the 2025 Asia Cup
Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) cricket team qualified for the 2025 Asia Cup, a tournament they will participate in after nine long years, following a 55-run win over Oman in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup final.Their victory was backed by stupendous performances from skipper Mohammad Waseem as well as young batter Alishan Sharafu before pacer Junaid Siddique, in the company of Aayan Afzal Khan, led the bowling attack to help UAE win the final comfortably. Mohammad Waseem scored a blistering 56-ball-century and was well supported by his opening partner Alishan Sharafu who contributed 34 to their opening stand of 94 runs. After putting up 204 on the board, Junaid Siddique picked up three wickets for 38 runs in his four overs while Aayan Afzal Khan finished with figures of two for 29 to restrict Oman to 149-9 in their 20 overs, as they went on to avenge their defeat to Oman earlier in the tournament.Captain of the UAE team, Mohammad Waseem ended the ACC Premier Cup just nine runs behind his opening partner, leading his team by example. It hasn’t been too long since Waseem lit up the DP World ILT20 2024, where he set the tone at the top for his team, the MI Emirates, who won the championship. The powerful 30-year-old opener has made a habit of taking the attack to the opposition in the Finals of tournaments.
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced India legend Yuvraj Singh as an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador, with just 36 days to go until the pinnacle global event for T20 cricket gets underway.Yuvraj, who famously hit 36 runs in an over during the first ever T20 World Cup in 2007 which he and India ultimately won, will attend a range of exciting World Cup promotional events in the United States in the lead-up to and during the T20 showpiece, including the highly anticipated India versus Pakistan fixture in New York on 9 June.Yuvraj Singh, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2007 champion, said: "Some of my fondest cricketing memories have come from playing at the T20 World Cup, including hitting six sixes in an over, so it’s very exciting to be part of this edition, which is set to be the biggest one yet.“The West Indies is a great place to play cricket with the fans coming to watch creating a vibe that is completely unique to that part of the world, while cricket is also expanding in the USA and I’m excited to be part of that growth through the T20 World Cup.“India’s clash against Pakistan in New York is going to be one of the biggest sporting fixtures in the world this year, so it’s a privilege to be a part of and to witness the best players in the world playing in a new stadium.”Claire Furlong, ICC General Manager - Marketing & Communications, said: “It’s an honour to have Yuvraj as an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Ambassador. His name is synonymous with the T20 World Cup, owning one of the event’s most iconic moments when he became the first player to hit six sixes in a T20 International. He joins Chris Gayle and Usain Bolt as the first ambassadors to be announced, who will each add to the excitement of what will be the biggest T20 World Cup ever.”
Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier: Sri Lanka and Ireland claim wins
Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka overcame Thailand while Ireland defeated the hosts, United Arab Emirates (UAE), both winners recorded convincing victories over their opponents in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier began in Abu Dhabi today (Thursday).Ireland beat UAE by 6 Wickets: Esha Oza got UAE off to a flier with an onslaught on Alana Dalzell in the second over of the game, but the bowler had the last laugh when she sent the opener back off the final ball of the over.Theertha Satish and Khushi Sharma rebuilt the innings for UAE with a solid partnership that came at a pretty good rate, but Ireland launched a spirited comeback into the game that saw the UAE innings unravel pretty quickly.From 64/1, UAE slipped to 77/7 in the space of five overs as Arlene Kelly, Cara Murray and Richardson shared the spoils. The talented Kavisha Egodage was run out to add to UAE’s woes.The lower order could not muster much of a fight as UAE finished on 105/9 in 20 overs, despite the promising start they had to the innings. Kelly and Richardson claimed two wickets apiece and were the pick of Ireland’s bowlers.In response, Ireland raced off the blocks with Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis in great touch. The duo smashed 52 in the Powerplay, before Lewis departed off the final ball of the sixth over, edging Egodage to the wicketkeeper for a 22-ball 27. Oza struck in successive overs with the big wickets of Laura Delany and Rebecca Stokell as Ireland stumbled to 68/4.Orla Prendergast found able support from Richardson and Ireland kept the innings stable. The duo remained unbeaten and wiped off the target with more than three overs to spare as Ireland got their campaign off to a winning start.Sri Lanka beat Thailand by 67 runs: A disciplined bowling performance from Thailand restricted one of the favourites in the tournament, Sri Lanka, to 122/5 in 20 overs at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi.Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a slow start in the Powerplay with captain, Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne taking their time to settle in. Chanida Sutthiruang sent back Gunaratne for 13 inside the Powerplay, but the big blow came right after the restrictions when Athapaththu was run out by a brilliant bit of fielding.Hasini Perera dropped anchor at one end, but Thailand managed to find a couple of breakthroughs from the other end to keep the scoring rate under control. Eventually, Perera too was trapped in front by Sunida Chaturongrattana for 29 and Sri Lanka slipped to a precarious 78/5 with just over five overs remaining in the innings. Nilakshi de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani joined hands in a crucial stand that drove Sri Lanka out of the woods. De Silva finished unbeaten for 29 (20 balls), while Anushka made 13 off 15 as Sri Lanka finished on 122/5.In response, Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoshi Priyadharshani led Sri Lanka’s bowling effort with only one batter making double digits. While Thailand got off to a decent start with 29 runs on the board in the Powerplay for the loss of one, wickets tumbled soon after as Sri Lanka displayed their strength with the ball.Prabhodhani, Kavisha Dilhari and Achini Kulasuriya helped Sri Lanka reduce Thailand to 40/5 and things went further downhill for Thailand as three wickets fell in the 14th over, bowled by Priyadharshani. They slipped to 45/8 and were eventually bowled out for 55 with Athapaththu wrapping up the innings with the final wicket. Priyadharshani starred with 3 for 14 in her four overs while Prabodhani took 2 for 10 in her three overs.
Former Captain Bismah Maroof announces retirement from cricket
Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Former captain Bismah Maroof has announced her retirement from all cricket with immediate effect. A left-handed batswoman, Bismah made her ODI debut against India in 2006 and her T20I debut against Ireland in 2009. She went on to represent Pakistan in 276 international matches, the most by any Pakistan women cricketer. She has scored 6,262 international runs, including 33 half-centuries, and has taken 80 international wickets with her right-arm leg-spin.Bismah Maroof said about her decision: “I have decided to retire from the game I love the most. It has been an incredible journey, filled with challenges, victories, and unforgettable memories. I want to express my gratitude to my family, who has supported me throughout my cricketing journey, from the very beginning until now. I also want to extend my thanks to the Pakistan Cricket Board for believing in me and providing the platform to showcase my talent. The support from the PCB has been invaluable, particularly in implementing the first-ever parental policy for me, which enabled me to represent my country at the highest level while being a mother. I am deeply grateful to the fans whose unwavering support has been a constant throughout my career, wherever and whenever I represented my country. Lastly, I would like to thank my fellow players, who have become like family to me. The camaraderie we shared both on and off the field is something I will cherish forever.”Head of Women’s Cricket, Tania Mallick said: “As Bismah Maroof bids farewell to international cricket, we are all indebted to her immense contributions to Pakistan women's cricket. On behalf of the Pakistan Cricket Board, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Bismah for her commitment and invaluable services to the team and the country. I wish Bismah all the best in her future endeavors, and may her journey ahead be as rewarding and fulfilling as her cricketing career has been.”During her illustrious career, Bismah was part of the women’s team that won the Gold Medal twice in the Asian Games, in the 2010 and 2014 editions. The southpaw also captained the side in 96 international matches. She represented Pakistan in four editions of the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup (2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022), captaining the team in the 2022 edition held in New Zealand. In T20Is, Bismah featured for Pakistan in eight editions of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023) and led the side in the 2020 and 2023 editions held in Australia and South Africa, respectively.
AS Ali Blind Cricket Trophy: Balochistan clinch title
Balochistan thrash Sindh by 62 runs in final, Niamatullah (140) wins Man of the Match awardSports Bulletin ReportPESHAWAR: Balochistan thrashed Sindh by 62 runs in the final of the AS Ali Blind Cricket Trophy at Hayyatabad Sports Complex Peshawar on Thursday. Niamatullah was decalred Man of the Match.Sindh’s Captain Badar Munir once again won the toss and as has been the case throughout the tournament, Sindh decided to bowl first. Balochistan Team posted an enormous total of 408 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in their allotted 40 overs. Led by the electrifying partnership of Niamatullah and Mohammad Salman, Balochistan batting line-up displayed spirited cricket. Niamatullah's unbeaten knock of 140 runs off just 86 balls featuring 18 boundaries, supported by Mohammad Salman's explosive 62 off 31 deliveries, laid the foundation for an imposing total. His masterclass, coupled with Babar Ali's steady contribution of 44 runs, boosted Balochistan to finish at a staggering 408/4 in their allotted 40 overs. For Sindh, Badar Munir bowled an economical spell, he conceded just 46 runs in 8 overs by taking 1 wicket, Kazimullah took 2 wickets.In reply, the start of Sindh innings saw an early setback with the loss of the most prolific Badar Munir, who had previously scored three double centuries in the tournament in as many innings he played and was a formidable force at the crease. Despite this setback, Sindh Blind reassembled, with Akmal Hayat Nasir and Anees Javed delivering sensational innings that kept their hopes alive. Akmal Hayat Nasir's blistering knock of 94 runs off 73 balls, coupled with Anees Javed's elegant display of stroke play by scoring 83 runs off 60 balls, provided a glimmer of hope for Sindh. However, their valiant efforts were not enough to secure victory as they fell short of the target. Sindh was bowled out after scoring 346 runs in 38.4 overs. Mati Ullah, Babar Ali, and Haroon Khan were the stars in the bowling department, claiming 2 crucial wickets each and putting pressure on the Sindh.Players’ Awards of the Tournament:B1: Asif Khan (Punjab)B2: Badar Munir (Sindh)B3: Mohammad Rashid (KPK)Best Wicket Keeper: Nisar Ali (Islamabad)Prize Distribution Ceremony: Sohail Khan Afridi (MPA KPK), Abdul Ghani (MPA KPK), Syed Sultan Shah (President World Blind Cricket Ltd), and Chairman, Pakistan Blind Cricket Council), Aziz Ullah Jan (Director Sports and Youth Affairs KPK), Said Ali Bux (Director Special Education Complex), Anwar Ali (Director Finance PBCC), Habib Ullah Khan (General Secretary Peshawar Cricket Club of the Blind), Mohammad Noor Khan (District Officer Special Education), were the guests of the occasion and distributed prizes amongst the players.
Chapman, Shaheen move up in ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): New Zealand batter Mark Chapman and Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi have made notable gains in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after their Player of the Match performances in the ongoing five-match series which is level 1-1 after three matches.Left-handed Chapman’s unbeaten 87 off 42 balls in the third match has lifted him 12 places to 33rd position in the latest weekly update while left-armer Shaheen’s haul of three for 13 in the second match has helped him move up two places to 17th position.Wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert is another New Zealand batter to gain in the rankings, moving up from 27th to 24th while leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has progressed from 23rd to 18th position.Meanwhile, Dipendra Singh Airee has become the fourth player from Nepal to reach the top 50 in the Men’s T20I Batting Rankings after scoring an unbeaten 44 against Hong Kong in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Men’s Premier Cup.The others to reach the top 50 from Nepal are Kushal Bhurtel (27th in March 2022), Paras Khadka (42nd in September 2019) and Rohit Paudel (45th in March 2024).Airee’s 11th position in the all-rounders’ rankings is the highest for Nepal, with the next best being Kaushal Malla’s 25th position.Hong Kong’s Anshuman Rath (up seven places to 70th) and the United Arab Emirates’ Alishan Sharafu (up 29 places to 88th) among batters, and Nepal’s Sompal Kami (up 16 places to 92nd) among bowlers, have also progressed following their performances in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
Update on Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Irfan Khan
Lahore (PR): PCB Medical Panel yesterday received radiology reports of Mohammad Rizwan and Muhammad Irfan Khan. After reviewing the reports and in consultation with the Pakistan team management, it has been decided to rest the two players from Thursday’s and Saturday’s T20Is against New Zealand. The two players will work on their rehabilitation with the PCB Medical Panel at NCA.
AS Ali Blind Cricket Trophy: Sindh and Punjab win matches
Sports Bulletin ReportPESHAWAR: Sindh and secured victories and advance in next round of the ongoing A S Ali Blind Cricket Trophy National One-Day Format Tournament 2023-24 in Peshawar on Monday.Sindh beat Balochitan by 7 wickets (Hayyatabad Sports Complex): The 5th match of the A.S. Ali Blind Cricket Trophy was played between Sindh and Baloschistan at Hayyatababd Sports Complex Peshawar. Sindh won the toss and put Balochistan into bat. Balochistan showcased exceptional batting skills, posted a formidable total of 408 for 8 in stipulated 40 overs. Captain Niamatullah, laid the foundation for Balochistan's innings with a solid 60 runs off 50 balls. Haroon Khan then took charge, delivering an impressive knock of 97 runs from 74 balls, including 10 boundaries. Thereafter, Mati Ullah continued the onslaught with a blistering 63 runs off just 35 balls, showcasing incredible power hitting with a strike rate of 180. Contributions from Bashir Khan (50), Fasiullah (30), and Naseeb Ullah (25) runs, further piled-up Balochistan's score. Despite the challenging bowling efforts from Sindh, particularly by Talha Iqbal (B3) who claimed three wickets, Balochistan's batsmen demonstrated resilience and determination, consistently finding gaps and punishing loose deliveries.Sindh batting in reply proved too strong and reached the uphill target of 409 runs in just 31st over. Badar Munir emerged as the undoubted hero of the match, crafting an exceptional unbeaten innings of 231 runs off a mere 109 balls. Badar's batting masterclass was characterized by a relentless onslaught of aggressive stroke-playing, featuring 41 boundaries and 2 sixes, which left the opposition bowlers clueless. Anees Javed's fluent knock of 80 runs off 69 balls provided crucial support helped his side to win with 7 wickets to spare. Badar Munir got man of the match award.Punjab beat KPK by 58 runs (Peshawar Gymkhana Cricket Ground): KPK won the toss and decided to bowl first. Punjab batting first, set an imposing total of 420/2 in the 1st innings, setting a formidable target for KPK. Mohammad Safdar exhibited exceptional batting ability with an unbeaten knock of 159 runs off 128 balls, anchoring Punjab's innings with precision and power. Moain Aslam also played a pivotal role in Punjab's formidable total, contributing a magnificent 122 runs off 121 balls before being dismissed, laying a solid foundation for his team's commanding performance. Punjab's innings was further bolstered by a staggering 108 extras, highlighting the pressure exerted by their aggressive batting approach on the KPK Blind bowlers. Shahzaib Haider (B2) was the lone wicket-taker for his team KPK.Despite facing a daunting target of 421 runs, KPK exhibited resilience and fighting spirit throughout their innings. Mohammad Rashid led the charge with a solid 83 runs off 57 balls and Shahzaib Haider contributed with 66 runs from the top. Israr Hassan’s valiant efforts of (B2) of spirited 74 runs off 52 balls went in vain, as Punjab Blind's bowling attack, led by Asif Khan, proved to be a formidable, he yielded three crucial wickets, stemmed the flow of runs and kept the pressure mounted on the opposition. Babar Ali's economical bowling spell further boosted Punjab’s performance, as he conceded just 53 runs in his 8 overs while claiming two vital wickets. Mohammad Safdar was judged best player of the match.
AS Ali Blind Cricket Super League: Balochistan, Sindh claim wins
Sports Bulletin ReportPESHAWAR: Balochistan, and Sindh clinched victories on the second day of the AS Ali Blind Cricket Super League 2024 after beating Punjab and Islamabad respectively at the two different venues of Peshawar city. The first day was washed out due to rain and all teams were awarded one point each.Balochistan beat Punjab by 8 runs: (Hayatabad Sports Complex): In the morning Punjab won the toss and asked Balochistan to take guard. Balochistan posted a contending total of 377 runs on the board for the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted 40 overs. Niamat Ullah played a wonderful innings of 102 runs (off 93 balls) and Haroon Khan scored 66 runs (off 59 balls). Mohammad Asif was the pick amongst the bowlers he claimed 3 wickets while Mohsin Khan took 2 wickets. Punjab in reply made 369 runs by losing their 9 wickets in the stipulated 40 overs. Mohsin Khan was the highest scorer with 112 runs (off 94 balls) and Daniyal made 39 runs (off 41 balls). Saqib Ali bowled a fantastic bowling spell and fetched 4 wickets for Balochistan while Haroon Khan took 2 wickets. Haroon Khan was declared the best player of the match.Sindh beat Islamabad by 10 wickets (Peshawar Gymkhana Ground): Islamabad set the competitive total of 380 runs on the board for the loss of 9 wickets in the allotted 40 overs. Islamabad’s Captain Nisar Ali played a superb innings of 107 runs (off 80 balls) and Mohammad Akram chipped in with 76 runs (off 75 balls). Talha Iqbal claimed 3 wickets and Badar Munir took 1 wicket.In reply, Sindh chased down the target with ease in just 28.5 overs without any loss. Badar Munir played an extraordinary innings of 214 runs (off 110 balls). He was well supported by Talha Iqbal; he made 109 runs (off 81 balls). Badar Munir got the man of the match award.
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